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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: bay · can · game · land · pitch · fan · stick · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. game — a match
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — a country

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