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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: fan · net · leaves · track · press · bat · bay · row

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — for catching
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a path
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — to push
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bat — the animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. row — a line
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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