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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — steady
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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