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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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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a great time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rash — hasty
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — for catching
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rash — on the skin

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