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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: bowl · bay · mouse · press · date · pass · jam · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — to push
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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