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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · present · kick · roll · pitch · rule

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rule — a law
  8. roll — a list
  9. rule — government
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. roll — a cake
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now

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