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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: racket · shower · hide · pit · date · scale · bulb · season

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. shower — to wash
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. shower — rain
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — on the calendar

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