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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: arm · club · bat · pitch · rest · stand · pop · bound

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pop — soda
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. club — a group
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — certain
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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