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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. file — a tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bass — the fish
  10. file — a line of people
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a document
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — a trainer

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