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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.

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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: kick · present · content · pitch · pit · temple · safe · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a hole
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — the amount
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pit — in a race
  21. content — happy
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — in football
  24. content — videos and posts

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