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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 · club · toast · land · press · foot

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. club — for dancing
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — government
  7. toast — bread
  8. club — a group
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. club — for golf
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. land — to come down
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  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