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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: march · ground · pitcher · perch · net · rush · staff · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — a position
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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