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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · pop · press · net · club · cold

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — soda
  8. cold — an illness
  9. net — after costs
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — to visit
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pop — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — a monarch

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