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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: season · firm · press · key · land · net · current · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. current — electric
  10. land — a country
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — a company
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — to protest
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — to push
  22. current — of water
  23. firm — steady
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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