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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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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: bass · net · bear · bat · press · perch · fork · kid

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. net — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kid — child
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — after costs
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  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