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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: stand · pound · hand · pass · date · cap · mug · perch

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mug — a face
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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