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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a committee
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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