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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: dip · mug · net · arm · pound · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — for catching
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mug — a face
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — after costs
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — to hit hard

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