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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 · lash · key · hand · chair · toast · pitch · suit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. suit — to fit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chair — a leader
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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