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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: staff · prune · pass · bass · pound · squash · mark · cabinet

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bass — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — a permit
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mark — a trace
  24. prune — the fruit

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