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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: band · rock · drill · cabinet · fan · rush · court · roll

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — music
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. court — of a king
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — hurry
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. roll — a list
  24. drill — army training

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