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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: leaves · pound · last · mug · pop · mate · arm · pit

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — music
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — finally
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — to hit hard

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