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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · wound · band · field · jam · vault · deal · bulb

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wound — an injury
  6. field — farmland
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — a subject
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. deal — to handle
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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