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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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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: stand · pitch · game · safe · rule · bank · temple · last

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — final
  7. game — wild animals
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — a sports field

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