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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: content · pitcher · temple · mug · mine · mark · pit · spring

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — the season
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a face
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mine — an explosive
  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