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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. present — the time now
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. present — there
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a kind of play
  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