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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.

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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: mouse · object · arm · rest · tube · bowl · game · perch

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. arm — part of the body
  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