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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: mate · tube · fine · mouse · sharp · drill · date · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — all right
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. date — the fruit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — army training
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — the animal

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