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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: rash · wake · game · pass · ground · pop · cap · rest

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — to visit
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cap — a hat

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