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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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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 · rest · cap · racket · straw · trunk · band · pound

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pass — a permit

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