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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: ground · firm · dip · arm · press · file · bank · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. press — to push
  9. file — a document
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. firm — a company
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. net — for catching
  22. firm — decided
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — crushed

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