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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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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: date · bowl · plane · race · chair · bulb · scale · kick

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bulb — for light
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. date — the fruit
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — a tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  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