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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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Word bank
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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: jam · pitcher · plane · can · pitch · last · straw · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. can — to be able to
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — final
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. last — to go on
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitcher — a jug

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