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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: rule · band · mug · rash · kick · bank · fall · pitch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — the season
  6. bank — for money
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — completely
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a ring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — government
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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