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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: ball · pitcher · net · rash · rock · temple

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rock — a stone
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rash — on the skin

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