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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 · swing · fall · last · arm · chair · ruler · ground

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — finally
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — the season
  10. ground — a position
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — final
  15. swing — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — the earth
  18. last — to go on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. arm — part of the body
  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