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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: temple · chip · hide · leaves · rock · pitch · row · mine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — a stone
  24. leaves — to go away

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