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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. press — newspapers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — in a race
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a ring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rule — a law
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — to push

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