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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: mate · pound · jam · content · pass · mug · pop · rest

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. mug — a cup
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pound — a weight
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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