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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — a group
  9. net — after costs
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — for golf
  15. firm — a company
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — decided

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