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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: file · press · squash · rush · land · pitch · rule · bore

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. file — a document
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — government
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. land — a country
  16. file — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — to hurry

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