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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. march — the month
  5. game — wild animals
  6. march — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. band — a ring
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. band — a music group
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — a match
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — an aim

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