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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: arm · pitch · suit · pound · jam · present · chest · racket

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chest — a box
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pound — a weight
  11. present — there
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. suit — to fit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. present — a gift
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — part of the body

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