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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: bulb · pass · spell · rule · drill · game · club · band

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — wild animals
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — government
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. drill — army training
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — for golf
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spell — magic
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. band — a rubber band

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