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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 116 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: key · staff · pit · saw · mate · rule · press · drill

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mate — to breed
  12. drill — the tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — government
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — for a lock
  22. press — to push
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. staff — a stick

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