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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: key · band · bowl · rash · branch · ground · club · rule

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. club — a group
  12. ground — a position
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. rule — a law
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. club — for golf
  19. ground — the earth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — government

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