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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.

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 · mine · deal · bank · bark · pitch · board · game

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — a match
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — to shout
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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