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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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468
Word bank
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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. field — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — to fit

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