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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. band — a music group
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. chest — a box
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. rash — a series
  22. band — a ring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chest — of your body

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