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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: rule · press · pop · drill · dip · field · track · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — to push
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — a law
  16. drill — army training
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rule — government

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