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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 116 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: dip · wound · fine · net · cabinet · swing · ground · press

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — after costs
  11. ground — the earth
  12. net — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. net — for catching

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