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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: spring · swing · tube · ground · saw · pitcher · temple · pass

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ground — the earth
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. swing — to play on

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