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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: pitcher · ruler · pop · saw · temple · kick · bat · present

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. present — there
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — in football
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — the animal

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