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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
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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: rock · mouse · game · rest · clip · season · pass · fine

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — of the year
  9. game — a match
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. season — in sport

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