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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 · rest · club · pitch · bore · present · stand · net

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — completely
  14. present — the time now
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to tire

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