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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: club · squash · band · file · rule · bowl · object · land

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. rule — government
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — to protest
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. club — for dancing
  12. object — a thing
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — ground
  16. band — a ring
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. file — a document
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. file — a line of people
  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