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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · game · net · date · fine · mug · fall · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — in sport
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. net — for catching
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — high quality
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a face
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — a match
  23. fine — all right
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com