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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: saw · band · field · bulb · dip · club · arm · drill

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. drill — army training
  6. club — for dancing
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — a group
  24. drill — the tool

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