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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · pass · cabinet · deal · last · pitch · temple · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — to handle
  10. season — in sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. last — final
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. track — a path
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — to go on

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