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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 116 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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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: bowl · ruler · cell · band · pitch · bulb · fine · present

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. present — there
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fine — all right
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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