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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
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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: can · season · net · pass · track · press · bass · bark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — a permit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bark — to shout
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — of a tree

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