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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: saw · drill · mark · temple · wound · pitch · racket · mouse

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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