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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 116 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: pass · snap · cell · racket · pound · fine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pass — a permit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fine — all right
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pound — a weight
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to click
  18. cell — a phone

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