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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: pitch · fall · chair · firm · fork · pop · current · temple

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — decided
  5. current — electric
  6. pop — to visit
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. firm — steady
  14. current — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pop — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. fall — to drop
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — happening now
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fall — the season
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fork — to eat with

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