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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: pit · fall · press · can · perch · roll · net · band

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a ring
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — the season
  8. pit — in a race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. perch — the fish
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — to push
  13. net — after costs
  14. band — a music group
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — in sport

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