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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: rock · firm · arm · swing · ball · staff · pitch · mate

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. firm — a company
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mate — to breed
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. firm — decided
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — a stick
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. firm — steady
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — a friend

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