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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.

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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 · sharp · suit · mate · root · rash · ground · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — a friend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — a position
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. ground — the earth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ground — crushed

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