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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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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: firm · pit · temple · board · file · cell · mouse · pitch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — a committee
  8. cell — a phone
  9. firm — steady
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in biology
  16. file — a tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — decided

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