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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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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: stem · rule · game · pound · rash · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. game — a match
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. press — to push
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rule — government
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pound — for dogs

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