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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 120 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: march · pitch · rest · drill · foot · plane · arm · rash

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. drill — a practice
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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