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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — government

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