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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: nail · rash · board · cap · stick · band · toast · pound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. band — a music group
  11. cap — of ice
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — bread
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rash — hasty
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — for a hammer

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