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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: net · temple · coach · mark · mug · tear · jam · pitcher

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — to rip
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. net — for catching
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — in sport

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