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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. season — in sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. drill — army training
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — a practice

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