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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
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: stand · jam · trunk · rule · press · net · date · chip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. press — a publisher
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chip — to eat
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. press — newspapers
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. press — to push
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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