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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: ground · fine · pitch · last · temple · mine · suit · nail

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — finally
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — to fit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. suit — clothes
  21. last — final
  22. fine — all right
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — for digging

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