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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 116 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: firm · rush · stick · rule · band · cap · cabinet · net

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — a law
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — a company

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