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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — to visit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a document
  10. pop — music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pop — soda
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. file — a tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — part of the body

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