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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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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 · season · mark · stand · rest · temple · fork

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — letters
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — a short time

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