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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 120 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: march · file · rule · bay · prune · foot · press · mark

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. foot — a measure
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — a law
  15. press — to push
  16. march — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. file — a line of people

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