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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: wake · pitch · rush · present · sharp · bat · can · arm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — a gift
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rush — hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — the animal

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