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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 · mouse · ruler · land · deal · pitcher · chair · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. land — ground
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — an agreement

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