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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: bank · stick · craft · bulb · bat · band · toast · charge

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. toast — bread
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. craft — boats
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. band — a music group

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