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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: pit · mate · stand · roll · deal · temple · board · kid

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mate — a partner
  7. kid — child
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — to tease
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stand — to bear
  16. deal — to handle
  17. roll — a list
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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