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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. swing — in golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. row — to paddle
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — a position
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. row — a line
  20. ground — the earth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ground — crushed

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