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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — the season
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a music group
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a leader

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