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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — help
  10. vault — a safe
  11. foot — a measure
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — in cards
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — completely

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