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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitch — completely
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pop — soda

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