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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 · swing · roll · pitch · race · field · track · net

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. track — a path
  10. net — for catching
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — a cake
  23. field — farmland
  24. race — the arms race

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