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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: pitch · bark · bat · roll · rest · temple · leaves · deal

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. roll — a list
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — a break

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