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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: lie · rule · jam · land · ground · coach · band · ball

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a music group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. land — to come down
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rule — a law
  13. land — a country
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lie — an untruth

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