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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · bay · season · pound · rush · racket · bulb

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — of ice
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — a lid
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — to hurry

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