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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — a series
  5. track — a path
  6. cap — a hat
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — of ice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. club — for dancing

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