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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: rule · can · temple · season · cue · press · bark · land

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — government
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — to shout
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — to come down
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — to push
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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