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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: game · tube · spell · can · last · rest · fine · date

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. can — a tin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — finally
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — all right
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a match
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — final
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. tube — in a tire

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