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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: bay · toast · pitch · bear · temple · last · charge · deal

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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