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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: temple · plane · bulb · pitch · date · content · lie · rest

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. date — the fruit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bulb — for light

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