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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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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: pound · key · foot · pitcher · hide · fork · temple · pitch

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pound — a weight
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — side of the head

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