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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: plane · pass · game · pop · root · mouse · race · rash

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a match
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — the cause
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — of a word
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. root — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — soda
  24. pass — to spend time

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