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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: board · can · face · band · root · rush · pound · rule

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. face — to confront
  9. board — a committee
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rule — a law
  14. face — to point toward
  15. root — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — the cause
  18. band — a music group
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. root — of a word
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — part of the head

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