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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bat — the animal

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