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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · mug · last · deal · pound · press

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. last — to go on
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — to rob
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. rule — a law

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