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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: bat · content · dip · jam · patient · bulb · date · tube

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bat — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — the amount
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. date — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. dip — to sink

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