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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · band · plane · bulb · chip · nail

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. plane — a tool

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