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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: lie · saw · fall · pit · pitch · temple · charge · court

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — completely
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. court — for sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of law
  24. temple — a place of worship

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