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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: jam · racket · rash · fall · staff · rule · ground · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — a law
  12. ground — a position
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — a series
  15. staff — employees
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rash — hasty
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rule — government

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