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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: date · racket · band · current · rule · pass · board · foot

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. board — a committee
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — electric
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — government
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. board — to get on
  16. foot — a measure
  17. current — happening now
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. current — of water
  24. date — the fruit

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