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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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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: kid · present · bear · band · object · cap · track · bulb

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — an aim
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — the time now
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — there

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