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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. temple — side of the head

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