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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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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 · suit · chair · rule · band · cell · press · bay

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. band — a ring
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — a law
  16. band — a music group
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — a publisher

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