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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 120 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
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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: hand · pitch · temple · bank · court · mark · chest · stock

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. stock — shares
  11. chest — a box
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — of law
  18. hand — help
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bank — of a river

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