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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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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: last · race · suit · cell · cabinet · date · fine · kid

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — to tease
  6. last — to go on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. last — final
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kid — child
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. race — the arms race
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — in cards

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