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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: pop · roll · ground · pass · wave · press · pit · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — a position
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — soda
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pop — to visit

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