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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 · roll · arm · pound · suit · rule · mate · present

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — a list
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. rule — a law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — wild animals
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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