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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: stand · toast · club · fan · date · can · bulb · bat

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. toast — bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stand — to bear
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. club — a group

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