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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — to shout
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — to push
  14. track — a path
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a grade
  21. swing — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rule — a law

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