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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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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: roll · press · fall · bowl · pit · board · bulb · perch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fall — the season
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — to push
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. perch — the fish
  14. press — newspapers
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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