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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: pit · pound · march · perch · rush · jam · craft · press

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — to push
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. march — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — in a race
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. press — newspapers
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pound — a weight
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. press — a publisher

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