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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: stem · net · temple · stand · firm · pitcher · ball · season

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — in sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. firm — a company
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — of the year

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