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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: bark · season · mark · toast · band · date · bulb · can

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — the fruit
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a trace
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — of the year
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a ring
  20. bark — to shout
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a music group
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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