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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · board · degree · content · coach · rash · mouse · band

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. content — happy
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a committee
  13. band — a music group
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. last — finally
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — final

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