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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rule · game · wax · cabinet · pit · plane · march

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — a law
  16. game — a match
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. game — wild animals
  24. march — the month

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