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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: bank · march · ball · bowl · ruler · deal · band · rash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — a series
  18. band — a ring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a music group
  24. bowl — a football final

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