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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: date · last · scale · fork · ball · mug · capital · wake

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. last — to go on
  5. capital — a city
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fork — in a road
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — money
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ball — a round shape

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