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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: sharp · press · bore · mark · rule · fine · track · roll

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — to push
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — a law
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. press — a publisher
  11. roll — a list
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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