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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: squash · date · race · last · arm · bowl · bulb · cabinet

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  24. date — on the calendar

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