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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: stick · arm · suit · chair · date · kick · pit · coach

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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