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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: pound · pass · spell · cold · land · root · game · suit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. land — ground
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — wild animals
  18. land — to come down
  19. pound — a weight
  20. game — a match
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — in cards

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