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

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a cake
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a list
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a football final

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