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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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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: rock · game · pit · drill · deal · perch · arm · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a hole
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — army training
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — a break

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