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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: temple · pitcher · perch · toast · court · dip · roll · kid

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. court — of law
  3. kid — child
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. court — of a king
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — to sink
  23. court — for sport
  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