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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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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: club · staff · wax · rule · pit · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. press — a publisher
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — in a race
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. club — a group

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