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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · press · jam · capital · ball · roll · drill · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — a city
  8. drill — a practice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. capital — money
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. drill — army training
  23. fork — in a road
  24. capital — a big letter

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