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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.

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: pitch · present · nail · bore · temple · trunk · ground · calf

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ground — the earth
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. calf — a young animal

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