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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — all right
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — happening now
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. current — of water
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — electric
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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