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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — the time now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. present — there
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a rubber band

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