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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: rash · band · spell · rush · rock · race · ground · can

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — a series
  5. race — a contest
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — a position

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