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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · face · bass · racket · march · fan · date · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. march — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bass — the fish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — the fruit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — low music

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