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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 · chair · dip · club · mug · pound · stick · wind

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — for golf
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. club — for dancing
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. chair — a leader

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