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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: bear · pitch · pass · safe · pitcher · temple · rule · cold

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — to put up with

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