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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 · key · mug · hand · game · land · fine · rest

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. key — in music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hand — help
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — a face
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rest — a break
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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