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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 · mate · ruler · hide · land · pitch · leaves · court

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — of law
  7. land — to come down
  8. court — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — for measuring

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