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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 116 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 · ball · band · can · row · pop · mug

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — to visit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pop — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a great time
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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