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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: bulb · cap · plane · scale · date · season · chest · cabinet

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chest — a box
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chest — of your body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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