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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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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — in a race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — of the year
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rule — a law
  17. rest — a break
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — army training
  22. rest — what's left
  23. season — in sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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