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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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Word bank
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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 · coach · plane · bear · fine · cabinet · temple · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. kid — to tease
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — child
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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