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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — to push
  24. bark — to shout

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