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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: tube · ground · temple · staff · mark · pitch · lie · field

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — the earth
  7. field — a subject
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. field — for sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — a container
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitch — completely
  24. staff — employees

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