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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: temple · fan · band · mouse · nail · pitcher · pitch · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a ring

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