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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: pitch · cabinet · wind · hide · temple · fork · current · date

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — happening now
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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