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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 116 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: tear · mark · band · ball · mouse · club · bulb · march

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a ring
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — for golf
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — a group
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. tear — from crying

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