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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — the fruit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — for betting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — to eat

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