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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: firm · arm · roll · object · race · ball · band · pitch

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. object — to protest
  3. band — a ring
  4. object — a thing
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — an aim
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ball — a great time
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a music group
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — completely
  24. race — a contest

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