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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 · rule · fan · board · band · bulb · drill · object

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — army training
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — government
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a music group
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — a law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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