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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · rush · press · mark · pop · racket · ruler · cell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — soda
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — music
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — to come down
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cell — a phone

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