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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: toast · ball · hand · fine · date · craft · last · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. firm — a company
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — bread
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hand — in cards
  17. last — final
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — finally
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. firm — steady
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. craft — a skill

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