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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: spell · pitcher · race · court · bear · field · lash · temple

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. race — humankind
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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