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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: face · jam · date · scale · fine · game · saw · wave

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. date — the fruit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. scale — in music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. game — a match

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