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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — finally
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — final
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — music
  20. field — a subject
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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