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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.

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: squash · game · snap · scale · sharp · patient · arm · deal

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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 — clever
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. game — wild animals
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — in music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to click
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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