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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 · temple · pass · rule · wave · mouse · ground · cap

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — a lid
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — a law
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rule — to rule out

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