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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: pit · bound · roll · rest · bat · kick · pitcher · arm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. roll — a list
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — certain
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. roll — a cake

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