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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: toast · game · rest · foot · mate · pitch · pop · bore

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — a match
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — bread
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitch — completely
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rest — a break
  24. bore — to drill

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