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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: rest · roll · mouse · mate · game · charge · club · wave

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — a price
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a match
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. game — wild animals
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for golf
  24. roll — a cake

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