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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.

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: rest · game · chest · capital · key · spell · ball · fall

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fall — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — of your body
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — a break
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. game — a match
  20. spell — magic
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a great time
  23. capital — a city
  24. fall — to drop

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