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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: safe · cold · pitch · last · temple · rock · mark · staff

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cold — not warm
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. last — final
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — to go on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sports field

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