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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — final
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — finally
  16. game — a match
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. trunk — of a tree

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