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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: board · wound · bulb · object · pitch · band · root · mug

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — to get on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. object — an aim
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a word

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