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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: pound · march · sharp · hide · net · squash · jam · press

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. march — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — to crush
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pound — a weight
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — clever
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. net — after costs
  24. pound — for dogs

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