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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: net · object · press · deal · ruler · chair

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — a thing
  8. net — for catching
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — a leader
  13. press — to push
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — in sport
  18. object — an aim

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