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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.

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: press · field · arm · bass · pit · bear · net · racket

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. field — a subject
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. field — farmland
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bass — low music

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