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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: arm · pitch · can · wound · suit · bound · pop · cue

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — to fit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — certain
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pop — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitch — completely

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