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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: club · pass · press · bat · track · bore · safe · bulb

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — a path
  11. bat — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. club — for golf
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  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