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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a match
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. temple — side of the head

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