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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — completely
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. present — there
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — size or range
  24. arm — a part of something

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