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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: tube · bank · bulb · object · game · band · jam · coach

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — the underground
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — a container
  14. object — an aim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a match
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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