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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: pop · game · pitch · chair · squash · arm · object · stem

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. object — a thing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. object — to protest
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — to visit
  15. game — a match
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — completely
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pop — music
  24. chair — to sit on

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