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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · foot · pop · season · calf · jam · rest · wake

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. wake — a trail
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. game — a match
  15. pop — soda
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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