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

Word bank: bat · pit · temple · pitch · present · leaves · stick · snap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pit — in a race
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — a gift
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. snap — to click
  20. present — there
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bat — the animal

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