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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — to breed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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