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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. craft — boats
  10. spring — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. net — in sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. spring — a coil

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