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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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468
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 · sharp · pound · staff · racket · bear · cold · pop

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bear — the animal

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