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

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a match
  4. season — in sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rest — a break
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — all right
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — of the year

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