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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · ball · bulb · deal · band · plane · date · clip

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. clip — a video
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. clip — to cut
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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