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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: mark · pitch · fork · present · fan · arm · wound · chair

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fan — a supporter

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