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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 120 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: lash · temple · firm · spring · pitch · degree · pitcher · bay

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — a coil
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — decided
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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