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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: content · arm · rash · pitch · kid · stick · present · can

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. present — a gift
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — hasty
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kid — to tease
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — happy
  23. kid — child
  24. present — there

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