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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 120 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: present · content · club · hide · game · bark · rest · mate

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. content — the amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. club — a group
  7. bark — to shout
  8. present — the time now
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — a gift
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mate — a friend
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — a break
  17. game — a match
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — happy

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