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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: mine · fan · date · staff · tube · ground · stand · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — the underground
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — of a plant

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