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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 120 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: squash · pitch · leaves · snap · firm · arm · nail · capital

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. snap — to click
  5. firm — a company
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — steady
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — money
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a city
  24. squash — the sport

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