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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: band · rash · rule · deal · roll · coach

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a ring
  10. roll — a cake
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — hasty
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. roll — a list

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