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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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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: pop · ground · march · temple · chip · pitcher · nail · saw

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chip — to eat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pop — music
  24. march — music

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