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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: squash · nail · pitcher · board · rash · rule · band · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. band — a rubber band

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