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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — completely
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — a trainer

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