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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: pass · pop · game · bound · root · last · fine · fall

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — finally
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — final
  6. fall — the season
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. fall — to drop
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. root — the cause
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. last — to go on

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