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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · squash · cabinet · pitch · fork · bound · nail · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — in a road
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — certain

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