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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: squash · track · court · band · bowl · roll · fan · ruler

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a path
  3. roll — a list
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — to crush
  7. court — of a king
  8. squash — the sport
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. court — of law
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a music group
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — for sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a dish

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