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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — music
  13. current — of water
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. date — the fruit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

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