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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: rush · face · stick · deal · band · pop · march · race

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a ring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. march — the month
  17. race — the arms race
  18. face — to confront
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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