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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: suit · rock · game · land · spring · bear · rest · stand

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — a match
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spring — of water
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. suit — in cards
  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