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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. swing — to play on

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