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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 · rule · band · ball · stand · mug · roll · fine

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rule — a law
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. roll — a cake
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — government

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