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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 · bowl · cap · firm · leaves · fine · plane · date

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. date — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cap — a hat

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