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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · pitch · game · branch · foot · plane · mate · patient

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — a sick person

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