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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: sharp · fork · temple · racket · bound · field · pitch · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — farmland
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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