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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: pass · mug · clip · chip · press · roll · present · bass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — a video
  5. present — there
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — a cup
  19. clip — for paper
  20. present — a gift
  21. clip — to cut
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the fish
  24. roll — a list

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