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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — a thing
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — for weighing

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