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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — for light

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