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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 · stick · suit · cabinet · pitcher · saw · sharp

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — clothes
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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