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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · pass · ground · racket · pop · game · wind · mark

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — music
  24. wind — moving air

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