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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: content · toast · squash · date · object · tube · bulb · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. content — the amount
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  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