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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: mate · cabinet · game · pass · wound · rush · fine · pound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — a match
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pass — a permit

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