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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: spell · pitch · hand · mug · bank · arm · temple · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. net — in sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — for catching
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hand — help
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a cup

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