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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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Word bank
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — to get on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mine — belonging to me

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