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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: pass · deal · prune · saw · perch · pound · fan · press

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — to push
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pass — a permit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. prune — the fruit

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