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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: mine · root · rule · bound · ground · pass · cap · game

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — for digging
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — of a word
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — a position
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — the cause
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — government
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bound — certain

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