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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 · stick · charge · mine · fine · fan · bulb · dip

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fine — all right
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. dip — a sauce
  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