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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 120 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 · band · pit · degree · rock · can · game · march

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. band — a ring
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — from a university
  24. can — to be able to

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