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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: pitch · bay · mug · spell · stick · land · field · temple

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. spell — magic
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. land — to come down
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mug — a face
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — a country
  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