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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 · mark · pitch · rush · spell · ball · band · present

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — the time now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. band — a music group
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. present — a gift
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. present — there
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ball — a round shape

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