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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. board — a committee
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. board — to get on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — for dancing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fall — the season

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