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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · rest · game · fine · cap · tube · ball · tear

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — for catching
  11. rest — a break
  12. tear — from crying
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — after costs
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — of ice

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