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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: wound · pass · band · pop · mug · suit · pound · date

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a ring
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — a weight
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mug — to rob
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — soda
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mug — a face
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. band — a music group
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — for dogs

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