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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'd like to play a game 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. content — happy
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — farmland
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. content — the amount
  23. field — a subject
  24. squash — the sport

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