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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: bulb · bass · wound · ground · chair · roll · pass · pop

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pop — soda
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a leader

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