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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: bowl · wound · stand · racket · firm · temple · pitcher · rush

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — a company
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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