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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mug — a face
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — a law
  22. pit — a hole
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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