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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 120 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: bowl · key · pitch · cue · temple · spell · mine · mate

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — for pool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — magic
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a signal

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