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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 · track · bulb · fan · jam · squash · march · toast

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. toast — bread
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — the month
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. track — a song
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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