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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: date · nail · fan · chair · press · net · cabinet · pop

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. press — to push
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — newspapers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pop — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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