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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. march — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. march — the month
  22. current — happening now
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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