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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: temple · pitcher · wave · race · march · mark · fork · fall

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. race — the arms race
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — humankind
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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