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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitch — completely
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. roll — a list
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. roll — on a roll

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