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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: field · band · pass · board · rock · charge · rash · hide

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — in control
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. field — for sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. field — a subject
  24. board — a committee

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