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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: arm · cue · rule · mug · game · bowl · last · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — to go on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — of the year
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rule — government
  12. game — wild animals
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — finally
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. last — final
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mug — a face

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