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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: rush · band · tube · sharp · deal · rule · stock · bulb

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 ring
  2. tube — a container
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — goods
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rule — government
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — in a tire
  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