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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 · cap · band · suit · staff · cell · rule · board

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a ring
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rule — government
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cell — a phone
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — in biology
  24. band — a music group

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