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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fine — all right
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — the animal

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