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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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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: fork · jam · chest · swing · pitch · arm · rush · toast

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. swing — in golf
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. toast — the most admired

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