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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — letters
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. arm — a part of something

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