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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.

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: date · pitcher · chip · mate · club · wake · deal · scale

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. club — for golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — in music

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