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

Word bank: kid · bat · temple · object · ruler · present · lean · pitch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — to protest
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — thin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — child
  24. 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