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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 · chip · bore · toast · pass · rest · ground · season

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to drill
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ground — a position
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — in sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — of the year
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — crushed
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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