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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. object — a thing
  3. band — a ring
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — of a river
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — a law
  12. band — a music group
  13. root — of a plant
  14. march — music
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — the cause
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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