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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. band — a music group
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — in a road
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a ring
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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