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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — child
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. arm — part of the body

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