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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · mate · pitch · bark · field · bass · safe · temple

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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