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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 · land · foot · current · bay · rock · kid · rest

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. land — ground
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. game — a match
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. current — electric
  22. land — to come down
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — wild animals

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