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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: jam · march · mouse · press · pass · land · dip · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. land — ground
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. march — the month
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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