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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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