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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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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: date · plane · bulb · swing · fine · cue · band · suit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. suit — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — high quality
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — music
  23. date — the fruit
  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