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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: pop · face · fan · date · prune · bulb · scale · cabinet

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — to point toward
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to confront
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — a supporter

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