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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: saw · court · press · rule · track · band · calf · hide

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — for sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — government
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — to keep track

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