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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: pitcher · fork · spring · present · race · mouse · stand · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — a coil
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mouse — for a computer

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