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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
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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: fan · bulb · date · perch · dip · rule · toast · deal

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. dip — to sink
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — government
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — the fruit
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — the fish
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — to rule out

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