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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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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: rule · ball · firm · net · press · calf · bound · deal

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. firm — a company
  7. rule — government
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — to handle
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — a publisher

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