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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for golf
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. club — a group
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. foot — a measure

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