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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: bulb · band · rock · date · board · hide · club · march

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — the fruit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a ring
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a music group
  24. bulb — for light

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