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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: stand · rash · temple · pitcher · mug · date · field · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — a cup
  3. field — farmland
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mug — a face
  13. bank — of a river
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. bank — for money

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