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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: bulb · fan · pit · band · rush · drill · present · deal

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — to handle
  8. band — a ring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. present — there
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — in a race
  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