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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spell — magic
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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