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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. drill — a practice
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. court — of law
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — a stick
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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