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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — in sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — government
  12. drill — army training
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. squash — to crush
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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