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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: sharp · mate · pitch · last · toast · fan · rush · arm

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — bread
  12. last — to go on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — a partner
  23. last — final
  24. toast — the most admired

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