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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. band — a music group
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — for betting
  13. band — a ring
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. bass — the fish
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. branch — of a bank

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