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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · pitcher · lie · fork · bowl · spell · stock · temple

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stock — shares

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