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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: bass · roll · prune · press · tear · pass · club · calf

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. roll — a list
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. press — to push
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — a publisher
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — low music
  14. club — a group
  15. roll — a cake
  16. club — for dancing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for golf
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. prune — the fruit
  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