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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 120 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: suit · temple · chest · dip · stand · pitch · band · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. band — a ring
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a face
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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