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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: chip · band · patient · temple · safe · pitch · present · dip

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — a gift
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a music group
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chip — to eat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. present — there
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a rubber band

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