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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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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: club · press · rock · rush · racket · deal · rule · bear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. press — to push
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. press — a publisher

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