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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: temple · pitcher · wake · pass · pop · race · wound · cap

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. race — a contest
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cap — a lid

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