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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: lean · squash · arm · ground · charge · game · root · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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