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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: jam · mate · firm · clip · pound · leaves · pass · trunk

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. clip — a video
  5. pass — a permit
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — a company
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. firm — decided
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. firm — steady
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. leaves — to go away

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