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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: march · present · bat · plane · date · bulb · squash · fork

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. present — the time now
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. date — the fruit
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bat — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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