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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: game · rush · cap · firm · staff · bound · ground · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ground — the earth
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. firm — a company
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — steady
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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