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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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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 · pit · march · root · press · temple

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — to push
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rule — government
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a word
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — newspapers

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