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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: pitcher · content · pit · temple · hide · present · date · pitch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — there
  5. content — happy
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — the time now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — a hole
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — the amount

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