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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.

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: cabinet · date · deal · mine · ball · stick · wake · march

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — to handle
  6. date — the fruit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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