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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. band — a music group
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring

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