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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: rash · pitch · rest · ball · stick · foot · season · temple

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rash — a series
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — of the year
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — completely

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