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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: cap · coach · band · kick · hand · rule · board · jam

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — a hat
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. band — a ring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a music group
  19. kick — in football
  20. hand — help
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a rubber band

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