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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: pound · pop · pass · present · rest · jam · mark · leaves

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. present — a gift
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. present — there
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. present — the time now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — soda

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