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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: rash · chip · field · club · rule · press · toast · bay

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — a subject
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for dancing
  20. press — newspapers
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. field — for sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — farmland

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