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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 · field · safe · mouse · mine · pitch · pitcher · racket

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mine — for digging
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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