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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: pound · content · club · pass · prune · snap · rush · mark

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — happy
  6. club — a group
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. content — the amount
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — a weight
  23. snap — to click
  24. content — videos and posts

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