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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
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: squash · bound · field · cell · perch · game · arm · suit

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bound — certain
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. field — for sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — obliged
  24. perch — the fish

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