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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 · rest · date · mark · ball · pitcher · jam · stick

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a dance
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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