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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a music group
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — after costs
  17. game — a match
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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