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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: fork · deal · pitcher · pit · scale · temple · root · squash

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. root — of a word
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pit — a hole
  23. root — the cause
  24. scale — in music

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