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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: can · arm · chip · march · foot · fork · face · pitch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — the month
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. march — the month
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. march — music

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