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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: present · straw · coach · mark · stock · rush · press · rule

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. present — the time now
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a grade

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