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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: cell · board · can · net · kid · firm · press · mate

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — child
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — to push
  16. mate — a partner
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — in biology
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — a company
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — a friend
  24. board — to get on

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