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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. date — the fruit
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — to keep track
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. field — a subject
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — steady
  20. track — a path
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — for sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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