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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 120 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: rock · sharp · season · content · ruler · staff · band · squash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. content — the amount
  5. rock — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. sharp — clever
  9. squash — to crush
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rock — a stone
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. season — in sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — the sport

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