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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — completely
  13. land — to come down
  14. mug — a cup
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. land — ground
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. land — a country

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