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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: mine · present · fork · trunk · rule · band · ball · bulb

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a ring
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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