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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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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: board · net · straw · rule · can · date · roll · press

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. net — after costs
  5. roll — a list
  6. press — to push
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — in sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. date — the fruit
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — newspapers

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