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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. net — for catching
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. last — finally
  6. net — after costs
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — steady
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — in cards
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — to push
  13. roll — a list
  14. last — final
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. last — to go on
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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