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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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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: date · mouse · wind · arm · game · cap · suit · rule

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wind — moving air
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — a match

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