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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
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: ball · pitcher · net · rash · rock · temple · fan · straw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. net — in sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — a stone

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