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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: cabinet · ball · fan · rush · track · fine · jam · bulb

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — ministers

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