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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.

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: present · temple · pitch · board · ruler · net · cabinet · rash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. net — for catching
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitch — completely
  23. net — after costs
  24. cabinet — ministers

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