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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: firm · bulb · season · mark · nail · hand · track · date

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — in cards
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — to keep track
  13. firm — steady
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — in sport
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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