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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. roll — a list
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. present — there
  13. bound — certain
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — the time now
  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