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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: fan · band · stock · bulb · deal · cap · wave · march

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a music group
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — a big deal

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