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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 116 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: hide · band · scale · rash · rule · bass · present · ball

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — government
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — there
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. scale — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — a series
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a dance

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