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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: bowl · mate · wound · stem · arm · ground · cap · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ground — the earth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — an injury
  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