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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: bear · temple · roll · cabinet · pitch · sharp · season · field

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — a list
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a cake
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bear — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. temple — side of the head

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