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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 · bank · spring · season · wound · foot · craft · temple

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. season — of the year
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spring — a coil
  24. foot — a measure

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