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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. staff — a stick
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. staff — employees
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to click

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