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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — a break
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hand — help
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pass — a permit

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