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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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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: rule · content · rush · cap · bay · racket · stand · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — the amount
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. content — happy
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rule — a law
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rush — hurry
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. racket — for tennis

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