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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 116 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: track · pitch · rush · ground · spell · present · bulb · band

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — the time now
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — a short time
  17. present — there
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — the earth
  21. band — a ring
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — hurry
  24. spell — letters

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