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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a song
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — the animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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