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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: stem · deal · nail · can · band · march · mine · rule

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rule — a law
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — to handle
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rule — government
  14. can — to be able to
  15. band — a ring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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