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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · bulb · pass · tear · roll · rock · press

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — music
  14. club — a group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — a publisher
  20. club — for golf
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tear — from crying

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