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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · pitcher · fork · net · chair · pop · pitch · staff

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. staff — a stick
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — to sit on

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