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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a great time
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rest — a break
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. game — a match
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — wild animals

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