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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 · lie · band · degree · net · rock · craft · club

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. rock — a stone
  3. craft — a skill
  4. degree — an amount
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — for golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — music
  23. bulb — for light
  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