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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 · sharp · pitch · row · mate · march · press · suit

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — clever
  9. row — a line
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mate — a friend
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — in cards
  24. row — a quarrel

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