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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: dip · mug · net · arm · pound · pass · firm · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — a face
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — finally
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. last — final
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pass — a permit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — to go on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pass — to spend time

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