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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 120 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: field · stick · temple · ball · dip · can · spell · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a dance
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — a subject
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — letters
  23. field — farmland
  24. spell — a short time

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