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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. march — music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — a law
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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