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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: band · mug · fan · date · pound · current · cap · bulb

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. band — a ring
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — of ice
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — electric
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — of water
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mug — a cup
  23. current — happening now
  24. cap — a lid

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