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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: fine · saw · game · pit · swing · can · date · spell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — all right
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — magic
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — the fruit
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — music
  24. pit — a hole

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