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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: band · kid · rush · racket · can · rock · drill · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ball — a great time
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. band — a ring
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — a stone

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