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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: court · bore · press · perch · bass · fan · season · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — of law
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — 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