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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: pitch · craft · bowl · foot · fan · season · can · temple

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. craft — boats
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. season — of the year

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