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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: stem · toast · march · pop · track · wave · pass · pound

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. march — the month
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pop — music
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pop — soda
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wave — of the sea

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