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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 120 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: ground · mouse · cap · field · arm · rule · pound · rush

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — for sport
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — the earth
  19. field — farmland
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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