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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: game · hand · suit · foot · fork · key · date · wave

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hand — help
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — the most important part
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fork — in a road
  12. suit — to fit
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. game — a match
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fork — a garden tool

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