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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: fan · key · game · chair · temple · roll · rush · pitch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. key — for a lock

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