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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: coach · rule · band · mug · staff · ground · mine · rush

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. band — a ring
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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