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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: charge · last · pit · kick · rest · temple · stand · pitcher

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. last — to go on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — to bear
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pit — a hole
  14. last — finally
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rest — a break
  23. charge — a price
  24. last — final

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