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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: pound · bay · dip · wound · tube · ball · bulb · band

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a music group
  24. wound — an injury

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