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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: board · fall · bulb · track · scale · tear · mug · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — to rip
  6. date — the fruit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — the season
  10. track — a song
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — a face
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — to rob
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — size or range

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