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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: foot · staff · sharp · bound · march · pitch · pitcher · arm

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — completely
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bound — certain
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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