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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · rush · press · present · firm · net · spell · fine

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — to push
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fine — high quality
  7. track — a path
  8. firm — a company
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. track — a song
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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