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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: temple · wave · pitch · swing · mug · deal · court · rule

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — to handle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — for sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — a law

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