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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a match
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — after costs
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  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