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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · fan · straw · pitch · file · temple · mark · board

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a grade
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a committee

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