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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to sink
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — in music
  24. press — newspapers

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