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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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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: staff · ground · wound · deal · band · bulb · fine · racket

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fine — high quality
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wound — an injury
  24. band — a music group

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