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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: march · race · band · arm · jam · pitch · toast · rock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. march — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitch — completely
  9. march — the month
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. band — a ring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. race — a contest
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. jam — a tight spot

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