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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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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: degree · pitch · arm · tear · lie · temple · racket · fork

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — to recline
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — an untruth

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