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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: game · arm · rock · ball · spell · cap · key · board

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — for a lock
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — magic
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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