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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: bat · object · temple · foot · net · fine · pitcher · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. object — to protest
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — a thing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — all right
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fine — high quality
  24. foot — the bottom

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