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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: pitch · arm · bowl · deal · leaves · fine · toast · mark

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a trace
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — completely
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  24. leaves — lets stay

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