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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 · mouse · face · craft · arm · temple · pitcher · kick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — to confront
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — part of the head
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. arm — a part of something

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