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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. season — of the year
  3. press — newspapers
  4. can — a tin
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — a group
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. club — for golf
  18. can — a tin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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