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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — a box
  6. bound — certain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — decided
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. march — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. dip — a sauce

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