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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: kick · mate · pitch · board · present · pound · season · temple

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. present — there
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — in sport
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — a committee
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — a gift
  24. temple — side of the head

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