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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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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: cabinet · temple · fork · squash · pitch · bay · bark · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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