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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
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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: can · rule · field · land · fine · press · object · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. press — a publisher
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — ground
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — government
  8. field — for sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. press — newspapers
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — a law
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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