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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: rock · press · craft · field · ruler · club · rule · wake

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. club — a group
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rule — a law
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — government
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — for sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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