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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.

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: staff · date · craft · mug · scale · press · net · arm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. net — in sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — for catching
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — to rob
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. date — the fruit
  18. scale — in music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. craft — a skill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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