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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: stick · board · march · plane · band · mate · racket · bulb

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — music
  5. band — a ring
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — a friend
  20. band — a music group
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. plane — a tool

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