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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: bulb · cue · last · scale · rock · bowl · date · track

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. last — to go on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a hint
  22. last — finally
  23. track — a path
  24. last — final

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