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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 120 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
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: chair · press · file · fork · bank · net · mug · firm

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. file — a document
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — a company
  6. file — a tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — after costs
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. firm — decided
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — a line of people

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