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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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. jam — to spread on bread
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. game — wild animals
  23. present — a gift
  24. game — a kind of play

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