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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. press — to push
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stem — to come from
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stem — of a plant

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