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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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468
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: deal · press · staff · net · bark · snap · pit · fan

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — for catching
  5. snap — to click
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — a hole
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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