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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: pit · pitch · wound · temple · foot · deal · leaves · rush

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — to handle
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — lets stay

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