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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: racket · dip · fall · temple · mouse · ground · pitch · present

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — there
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — the time now
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — the earth
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to sink
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to dunk

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