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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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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — for catching
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. firm — steady
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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