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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: plane · shower · band · rock · bulb · jam · pitch · rule

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitch — completely

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