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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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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: drill · temple · net · pit · roll · stick

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — a practice
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. roll — a list
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs

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