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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 · pass · race · mate · pop · mouse · track · ruler

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — a path
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — music
  16. game — a match
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — wild animals

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