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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: band · dip · march · mark · bulb · cap · track · roll

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a grade
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cap — a lid
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. track — a path
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — a trace
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. march — the month

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