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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rule — government
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — a face
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — to rob

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