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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ball — a dance
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. roll — a list
  9. drill — army training
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a great time
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — completely
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. safe — out of danger

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