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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: pound · arm · pass · club · staff · bark · mug · bay

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — a face
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. bark — to shout

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