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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · drill · sharp · pitch · foot · stick · arm · press

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. press — to push
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — newspapers
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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