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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: chair · lean · mate · deal · ruler · arm · pitch · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a partner
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — to breed

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