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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: rule · ground · bulb · pit · mug · pass · roll · squash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rule — a law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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