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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — low music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. firm — a company

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