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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. club — for golf
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for dancing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — on the skin

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