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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 120 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 · rash · band · game · net · foot · row · bowl

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — for catching
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a music group
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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