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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: jam · bulb · bat · bank · game · last · rock · date

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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