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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: bowl · fine · bound · bulb · rash · track · band · ruler

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bound — tied together
  9. band — a music group
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — certain
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — high quality

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