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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: net · press · rest · foot · firm · date · bank · cabinet

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bank — of a river
  8. firm — a company
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. date — the fruit
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — to push
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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