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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: branch · net · content · rule · wound · press · board · file

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — a publisher
  4. file — a tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — happy
  8. rule — government
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — to push
  14. net — after costs
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — a law
  24. board — a flat piece

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