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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: game · bass · saw · mug · spell · fine · date · calf

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — a face
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spell — magic

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