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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. drill — a practice
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — government
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rock — a stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. march — the month
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rule — to rule out

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