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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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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 · chip · band · nail · present · temple · swing · fork

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. chip — to eat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — there
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — in a road
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. band — a ring
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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