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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: pound · game · firm · cap · rash · stem · object · rock

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. firm — steady
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — a thing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — music

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