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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — to shout
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a music group
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — wild animals
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — low music
  17. game — a match
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rest — a break
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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