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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — government
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — a container
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. land — a country
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — to push
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — goods
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. press — a publisher

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