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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
468
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: cap · mouse · game · present · row · ground · squash · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — crushed
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. row — a line
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — to crush
  20. present — there
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — the time now
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the vegetable

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