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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: pass · can · row · pop · pound · lean · toast · bat

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. toast — bread
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — music
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pop — soda
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. pound — a weight

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