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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: plane · fork · pitcher · safe · stand · bat · temple · cabinet

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — to bear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fork — in a road
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  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