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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: rush · pass · cap · mouse · pop · spell · game · degree

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — a match
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spell — magic
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — to visit

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