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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: bulb · net · fork · rest · toast · game · rush · mug

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — for catching

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