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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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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: cell · jam · board · band · ruler · cap · foot · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. band — a music group
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — of ice
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. foot — a measure
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a ring

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