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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · game · temple · pitcher · fine · ruler · root · pitch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — the earth
  24. temple — a place of worship

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