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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: fan · content · racket · rest · game · sharp · mouse · cap

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — of ice
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — the amount
  12. rest — a break
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cap — a lid
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — a match
  24. rest — what's left

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