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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · pitch · foot · cabinet · bound · last · stick · track

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. last — finally
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. last — final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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