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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · object · mate · pop · race · rash · arm · pitch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — the arms race
  9. object — an aim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pop — to visit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. race — a contest
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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