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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: rule · band · present · tube · fall · mug · board · squash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — a container
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — a gift
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. squash — the sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — there
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tube — the underground

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