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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 120 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: fork · fan · coach · press · hide · net · pound · rule

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — for catching
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — government
  7. pound — a weight
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — to push
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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