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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · temple · bowl · pitcher · current · toast · stem · march

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. march — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. toast — bread
  8. stem — to come from
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — the month
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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