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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — thin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. face — to confront
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitch — a sports field

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