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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — to bear
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — the season

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