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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: club · temple · wind · pitcher · ground · bank · rash · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — hasty
  3. club — a group
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — a position
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for golf

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