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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: bear · firm · pitch · straw · hand · cabinet · capital · arm

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. firm — decided
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a city
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — a company
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. capital — money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — steady

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