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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 120 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: pass · rock · capital · ground · rash · mate · stem · ball

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — a position
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rock — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mate — a partner

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