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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · cap · temple · spring · mug · face · kid · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — to tease
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — of water
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — child
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — to rob
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pitch — completely
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — the season
  24. leaves — of a tree

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