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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: deal · chest · mouse · firm · arm · pitcher · pit · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chest — a box
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. firm — a company

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