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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · track · arm · row · cabinet · squash · pitch · chair

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — a path
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — clever
  23. row — a line
  24. squash — the vegetable

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