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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: band · rush · land · board · race · bark · cabinet · toast

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. land — a country
  3. band — a ring
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. band — a music group
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — a contest

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