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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · file · squash · date · coach · bulb · band · club

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — a group
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a music group
  8. root — of a plant
  9. club — for golf
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. band — a ring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a tool

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