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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: pass · pound · game · mug · object · net · last · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. mug — to rob
  4. object — an aim
  5. last — final
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. last — finally
  10. mug — a cup
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. net — after costs
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. object — to protest
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a face
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. net — in sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. object — a thing
  24. last — to go on

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