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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: season · lie · pitch · rest · safe · firm · mine · temple

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — a break

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