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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
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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: game · march · spell · object · perch · arm · ground · row

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. march — the month
  3. row — to paddle
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — crushed
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. march — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. row — a line
  24. spell — letters

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