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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: charge · bank · bat · mine · bay · kick · pitch · temple

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — a price
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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