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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — to handle
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — the season
  18. cap — of ice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitch — completely

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