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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: rush · can · band · roll · bass · deal · key · rest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. roll — a cake
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bass — low music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. roll — a list
  14. key — the most important part
  15. band — a ring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. key — for a lock
  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