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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: pit · press · can · coach · calf · rule · mark · land

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mark — a trace
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pit — in a race
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — ground
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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