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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: kid · sharp · pitch · arm · toast · bore · club · suit

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kid — child
  3. suit — in cards
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — a group
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — to tease
  16. club — for dancing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to tire

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