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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: pitcher · wind · stand · scale · toast · ground · temple · rash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — bread
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitcher — a jug

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