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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: rock · perch · press · net · kid · swing · pound · pass

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — a weight
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — in sport
  16. press — to push
  17. kid — child
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — after costs
  24. kid — to tease

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