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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: pitcher · fine · rash · press · tube · wake · ruler · saw

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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