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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: game · firm · deal · pitch · bank · net · press · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. game — a match
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bank — of a river
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — after costs

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