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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: chair · press · jam · track · tear · temple · rule · pound

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — a song
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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