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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chest — a box

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