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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: mark · temple · deal · pitcher · cold · stem · cap · bowl

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — to handle
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — a dish

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