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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · ruler · spring · fan · press · arm · charge · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. spring — the season
  6. field — for sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — in control
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. charge — a price

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