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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · pitcher · current · ground · can · spring · temple · season

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — in sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — happening now
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — of the year
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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