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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: cap · bear · rest · rash · game · bass · stick · mug

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. game — a match
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rash — a series
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

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