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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — all right
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — in music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for golf
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. date — the fruit
  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