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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
468
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: press · date · rash · arm · field · rule · fork · can

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — in a road
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — a series
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. date — the fruit
  18. field — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. field — farmland
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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