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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: stick · bass · jam · arm · pitch · ruler · date · scale

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. scale — in music
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bass — the fish
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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