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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 · temple · firm · date · press · rock · lie · cell

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. date — the fruit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — a publisher
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — a company
  20. cell — in biology
  21. press — newspapers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — to push
  24. date — on the calendar

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