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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — completely
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. deal — to handle

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