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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: season · stand · pitch · spell · bank · stock · row · temple

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spell — letters
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — magic
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stock — shares
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — a place of worship

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