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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 116 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: racket · mark · march · pass · spell · perch · press · wound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. perch — the fish
  9. press — newspapers
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — music
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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