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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: press · bass · perch · pass · deal · fan · net · ground

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — for catching
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — after costs
  24. press — newspapers

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