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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — a country
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. land — to come down
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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