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

Word bank: bank · date · rock · club · root · band · bowl · rule

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rule — a law
  3. band — a ring
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — the cause
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — government
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. date — on the calendar

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