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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 120 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 · pound · mine · firm · bowl · march

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. firm — a company
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. firm — decided
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bowl — to roll

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