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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: pitcher · bulb · band · bound · fan · can · jam · rule

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. band — a music group
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — to rule out
  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