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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.

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: pitch · chair · key · wound · mug · march · shower · temple

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. key — in music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pitch — completely
  15. march — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. march — the month
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — for a lock
  24. march — the month

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