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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: press · mug · game · capital · chair · bat · nail · rule

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rule — a law
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — a cup
  11. capital — a city
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — government
  23. mug — a face
  24. chair — a professorship

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