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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. squash — the sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — hurry
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

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