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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: jam · mine · rash · net · bowl · fan · press · suit

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. press — to push
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — clothes
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. suit — to fit
  24. net — in sport

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