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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: cell · can · mine · band · mark · deal · bulb · pass

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. band — a ring
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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