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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rock — a stone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. net — in sport
  6. press — to push
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — a company
  11. club — a group
  12. rock — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. date — on the calendar

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