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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: root · lash · net · press · pitch · lie · band · ruler

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — for catching
  19. band — a ring
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — to recline
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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