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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 120 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: game · ruler · nail · pitch · mate · temple · face · chair

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chair — a leader
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. face — to confront
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — a monarch

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