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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: press · rule · mate · date · mark · bass · sharp · coach

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rule — government
  5. date — the fruit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rule — a law
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a trace

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