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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: press · toast · net · rule · drill · march · tube · capital

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — government
  3. march — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. drill — army training
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — bread
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. capital — a city
  17. tube — a container
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — to push
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. net — in sport

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