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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — a group
  7. last — finally
  8. degree — from a university
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — government
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. wake — a trail
  18. last — to go on
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — final
  21. degree — temperature
  22. club — for dancing
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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