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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — a break
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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