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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: content · bulb · arm · pitch · hand · fall · rest · rush

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — hurry
  20. content — happy
  21. fall — the season
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rush — to hurry

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