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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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. content — the amount
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — a break
  10. season — in sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — happy
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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