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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · ruler · bat · temple · fork · pitch

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bat — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bat — in an idiom

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