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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: mate · pitch · safe · temple · wind · ground · perch · board

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — to get on
  11. ground — the earth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — moving air
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — a committee

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