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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: cabinet · root · pitch · pound · mate · nail · temple · bank

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a word
  22. mate — a friend
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitch — a sports field

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