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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: pitch · ground · ruler · fork · rash · ball · temple · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — a thing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ground — a position
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rash — a series
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a round shape

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