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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: jam · pop · wave · trunk · pound · pass · capital · march

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. march — the month
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. capital — money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. capital — a city
  23. pound — a weight
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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