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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.

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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: band · bound · net · fan · fork · chair · date · press

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — after costs
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bound — tied together
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — a publisher
  24. net — in sport

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