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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. press — to push
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — a trail
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. press — a publisher
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — wild animals
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — the sport
  22. game — a match
  23. pit — a hole
  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