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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 · pop · foot · game · bat · press · leaves · row

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — wild animals
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. bat — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. press — a publisher
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a match
  20. foot — a measure
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — a permit

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