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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: toast · court · firm · tube · scale · wave · bulb · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — of law
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — the underground
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — the fruit
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — a company
  20. scale — in music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — size or range

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