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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — certain
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — obliged
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitch — completely
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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