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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: mate · firm · arm · pitch · staff · bore · pound · toast

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. staff — employees
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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