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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — the amount

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