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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 116 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: ball · face · pitcher · present · bound · rule · staff · press

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — there
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — government
  10. press — to push
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — certain
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bound — obliged
  20. present — the time now
  21. ball — a dance
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — employees

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