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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — for golf
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — a group
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. craft — a skill
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — boats
  19. club — for dancing
  20. key — in music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — rain
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — for a lock

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