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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — to crush
  16. field — a subject
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — music
  23. field — for sport
  24. rule — a law

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