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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: dip · pitcher · pitch · hide · temple · bore · rash · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rash — a series

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