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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.

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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: cue · bear · date · band · trunk · spell · scale · bulb

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. band — a ring
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spell — letters
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a music group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — a hint
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. band — a rubber band

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