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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: pop · rash · tube · mouse · rule · cabinet · last · date

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — soda
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — a law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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