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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. band — a music group
  6. key — in music
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — for sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — completely

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