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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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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: foot · row · bank · deal · present · temple · stem · pitch

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. present — a gift
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — to paddle
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. present — the time now

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