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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: pitch · chest · toast · tube · safe · temple · bank · mark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitch — completely
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — bread
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chest — a box
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — for money

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