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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: ruler · pass · roll · pound · game · suit · field · ball

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. field — a subject
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. roll — a cake
  9. game — a match
  10. suit — in cards
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. roll — a list
  23. ball — a dance
  24. field — for sport

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