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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: ruler · press · bat · pit · dip · rule · pitch · face

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a hole
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. press — newspapers
  20. face — to confront
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — a law

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