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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. season — in sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — of the year
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — to add flavour
  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