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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: arm · squash · pitch · pit · sharp · season · hand · club

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. season — of the year
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — in sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitch — completely
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — the sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — help
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pit — a hole
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — with an edge

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