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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: club · rule · press · rash · lean · dip · pitch · band

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — a law
  7. press — to push
  8. lean — thin
  9. club — for golf
  10. lean — to bend
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — to rule out

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