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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: scale · bulb · kid · suit · toast · pitch · spring · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — completely
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spring — the season
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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