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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: stick · bear · pitch · foot · arm · game · wound · lie

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a match
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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