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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: safe · charge · cap · temple · pitch · firm · bat · chest

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — electricity
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. charge — a price
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chest — a box
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — steady

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