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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: temple · face · jam · charge · bowl · ruler · pitch · wake

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitch — completely
  9. charge — electricity
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. charge — in control
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ruler — a monarch

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