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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.

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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kid — child
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. date — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rule — to rule out

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