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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: tube · deal · fan · club · rash · field · fine · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. club — a group
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. club — for golf
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rash — a series
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — farmland
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — a subject
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. field — for 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