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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: pitcher · court · toast · wound · temple · stick · season · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. court — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — in sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — bread
  19. court — of law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — a place of worship

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