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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.

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

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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: deal · date · saw · scale · suit · game · last · cell

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. game — wild animals
  3. last — final
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — to go on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cell — a phone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. date — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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