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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: cell · bowl · bulb · fan · capital · squash · suit · date

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — to fit
  10. date — the fruit
  11. capital — money
  12. suit — clothes
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — a supporter
  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