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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: bulb · last · club · rock · racket · fall · band · mine

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. club — a group
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. last — to go on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a music group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — music
  21. last — finally
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — the season

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