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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: bank · bulb · last · pitch · perch · jam · band · club

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. club — for golf
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — of a river
  14. club — a group
  15. last — final
  16. band — a music group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. band — a ring

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