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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: pit · chair · pass · tear · temple · fine · pitch · file

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. file — a document
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fine — all right
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. file — a line of people
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. file — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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