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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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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rash — a series
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — in music
  16. bass — low music
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chip — to eat

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