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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: bowl · mine · lean · can · bound · pass · pop · roll

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. roll — a list
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — thin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to spend time

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