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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 · straw · bark · pitch · pit · mate · foot · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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