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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 116 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: net · fan · season · pitcher · press · staff · wake · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. staff — employees
  16. club — for golf
  17. season — of the year
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — to push
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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