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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — a break
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to sink
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — a match
  14. net — in sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — after costs
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. arm — part of the body

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