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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 120 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: ball · band · rock · trunk · rush · bowl · court · staff

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. band — a music group
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a ring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. court — for sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. staff — employees

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