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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: band · rule · ball · scale · firm · leaves · squash · bass

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. scale — in music
  13. firm — a company
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — low music
  16. firm — steady
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — the fish
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — a law

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