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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: bass · bound · arm · pitch · track · press · suit · craft

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — boats
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bound — certain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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