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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: mouse · suit · rush · deal · march · kick · band · can

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. march — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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