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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · wake · shower · press · rule · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — rain
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. march — the month
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rule — government
  11. press — to push
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rule — a law
  16. march — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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