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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: ball · pound · rush · leaves · pop · pass · season · snap

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pop — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. season — of the year
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to click
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — hurry
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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