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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — a thing
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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