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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 · object · firm · stick · present · board · bat · band

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — to protest
  3. firm — a company
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — a thing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — to get on
  12. firm — steady
  13. present — there
  14. band — a ring
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — decided
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. band — a music group
  24. object — an aim

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