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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — a trail
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. net — in sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — a stick
  14. swing — to play on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — of the year
  17. swing — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. net — after costs
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — to add flavour
  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