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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kick — in football
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a great time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — a line
  21. capital — a city
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — a big letter

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