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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: pitch · safe · bat · coach · chair · arm · stick · cap

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitch — completely
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a leader
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bat — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. coach — a trainer

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