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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: bass · chip · season · safe · temple · pit · stick · file

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — low music
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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