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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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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: rock · rule · jam · coach · deal · pop · band · track

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rule — a law
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rule — government
  11. track — a path
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a music group
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. band — a ring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — a song

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