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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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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: club · rush · pop · mouse · stem · leaves · pound · pass

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for golf
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — soda
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mouse — 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